Making my list and checking it twice

Christmas Eve is a week from tomorrow! Have you finished your Christmas shopping? I have! I have! I'm just waiting on a couple of things to be delivered to my doorstep so I can wrap them and send them off, but that's it.

I've learned that Christmas with a 5 year old is so much fun! He's counting down the days and is so excited to see what Santa will leave under the tree. Here are a few of the things at the top of his list............

Hot Wheels Criss Cross Crash - This is funny because he's never been a boy big into cars, but he's been begging for this! In fact, I heard him tell a friend today "I'm getting Criss Cross Crash for Christmas!"

Imaginext Air Craft Carrier - We've had a number of Imaginext toys before and they've always been wonderful, so I expect nothing less of this one.

Despicable Me DVD - We saw this in the theater and I honestly thought it was better than Toy Story 3. Brady thought so, too. :)

Star Wars Lego book - Brady has checked this out from the library numerous times and I think he would be completely crushed if Santa didn't bring it. Good thing Santa bought it weeks ago!

My Little Basketball Player

Brady started playing basketball this year and his first game was this past Saturday. He loves it! It's so funny to watch all of these little kids (4 and 5 year olds) play. We have some awesome kids on our team, too. I know a lot of you are baseball fans and I like baseball, but I love basketball! It's so much more interesting to watch. Maybe it's because I grew up in Durham, North Carolina, and was raised a huge Duke Blue Devils fan. We love our basketball in Durham!

Isn't he cute?????

The Pleated Poppy

I just love Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy and today she's showing us her Christmas decorations. You must go check them out!

Here's a sneak peek..................

She's my total blog crush!

Hurry Up Chicken Pot Pie

My husband loves chicken pot pie and was on me for ages to make it. Well, I tried a number of recipes - everything from using puff pastry to a recipe with a million ingredients ( I swear!). All of them were very time consuming and never tasted exactly right.

Finally, I turned to my faithful friend Paula Deen and she supplied the best recipe ever! It's so quick and easy that I can even make it after work during the week (as long as I have the chicken cooked and shredded ahead of time). Best of all? My husband loves it! Enjoy!

Hurry Up Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup instant biscuit mix

1 cup milk

1 stick melted butter

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup

Salt and pepper, optional

1/2 cup frozen green peas ( I add more peas and carrots)

1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots

2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

2 cup chopped cooked chicken breast (I shred mine)

1 cup chicken broth

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a greased 2-quart casserole, layer the chicken, eggs, carrots, and peas. Mix the soup, chicken broth, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Pour over the layers. Stir together the biscuit mix and milk, and pour this over the casserole. Drizzle butter over the topping. Bake until the topping is golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.

S'Mores Kit

Wouldn't these be a cute gift for that friend who has everything?




From Twig and Thistle

Peppermint Pretzel Wands

How adorable are these? They just may find their way on my baking list for next weekend!

Peppermint Pretzel Wands

Yield: Makes about 2 dozen.

Ingredients
· 10 oz. vanilla candy coating
· 9-oz. package of large stick pretzels (about 8 1/2
· red and green mint candies, crushed

Preparation
Melt candy coating in a microwave-safe 2-cup measuring cup on high power (100%) one to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until smooth. Dip each pretzel into candy coating to cover half of pretzel. Sprinkle with crushed candies. Stand each pretzel, coated side up, in a glass until candy coating hardens.

Thanksgiving at Disney World

We spent our second Thanksgiving in a row at the Happiest Place on Earth, thanks to a wonderful Christmas present we received. If you know us, you know we're huge Disney fans and love to go! We didn't think we would be able to this year, so it was a huge blessing to be able to take Brady on one last vacation as an only child. Next time, Beckett will be along for the ride!

We stayed at our favorite resort, Pop Century!

The weather was gorgeous - 78F and sunny almost the entire week. Everything was decorated for Christmas and in true Disney fashion, absolutely magical. It was hard to be in the holiday spirit with palm trees and such warm weather, but that's just why I couldn't live there full time. I like a little seasonal weather throughout the year. But for our vacation, it was perfection! Brady even got to swim!

We made it a very laid back trip since I'm 6 months pregnant. I sat on a lot of benches and ate a lot of snacks while the boys rode rides that I couldn't ride. My doctor just didn't want me going on Space Mountain. I can't imagine why! Ha!

We did a few different things this time, including playing mini golf at WinterSummerland. We played the Winter side, which was a Christmas theme!

The boys eating ice cream in Epcot

And playing a crazy game of Twister! (I did not particpate in this! )

It was a wonderful, wonderful trip and I can't wait to go back with our little family of four.

Our 2010 Christmas Card!

Swirling Ornaments Christmas Card

Shop Shutterfly.com for elegant Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

It's November 18th. Have you ordered your Christmas cards yet?

It’s November 18th. Have you ordered your Christmas cards yet? I have not, mostly because I’m waiting to see if I get an awesome family picture on our vacation next week to Disney World (Disney World! I’m so excited!). But I have been scoping out my options and I think Shutterfly is going to have exactly what I want!

Choosing the perfect Christmas card is a big part of my Christmas planning. Shutterfly has awesome cards and so many choices, so you’re bound to find the perfect card that best describes you and your family. They truly have an option for everyone, including people like me who insist on a card that says “Merry Christmas.”

Feeling more serious? Or elegant? Here you go!

Whimsical?


Is it all about the kids this year?



We also love to do photo gifts for the grandparents and great-grandparents. My grandmother loves to get a calendar and my mother-in-law will love a photo book made from our vacation to Hilton Head earlier this year.

And I was beyond excited to find out that Shutterfly was offering 50 free Christmas cards for bloggers! One of my goals this year is to simplify and save money, and this will definitely help the saving money goal!

So start thinking about your Christmas cards! Time is running out! Merry Christmas!

Beckett or Kennedy?

Tomorrow's the big day! We'll find out if we're having a boy or a girl sometime after 11am and I'm just about to die with anticipation!

We really don't have a preference. As long as the baby is healthy and doing well, we'll be happy campers. Brady is voting for a brother, but has said he'll still play with a sister. :)

If it's a boy, the name will be Beckett Hudson and if it's a girl, the name will be Kennedy Grace.

So will we be shopping for something like this?

Or something like this?

One of those days

Today is one of those days that just sucks. Excuse my language, but that's really the only way to describe it.

So, to lift my spirits, I may have bought the new Taylor Swift cd.

Of course, that idea may have backfired on me because it reminds me of being 18 or 19 again and then it reminds me that I'm certainly NOT 18 or 19 anymore. But, it's still a good cd and lots of fun. I love Taylor. :)

A little bit of fall

Cream Cheese Banana Bread

My fabulous friend Ashley over at Reflecting on the Simple Things in Life asked for banana bread recipes, so here's mine! It's from Southern Living and it is wonderful!

Cream Cheese Banana Bread

Yield: Makes 2 loaves
Ingredients
· 3/4 cup butter, softened
· 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
· 2 cups sugar
· 2 large eggs
· 3 cups all-purpose flour
· 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
· 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (1 1/4 pounds unpeeled bananas, about 4 medium)
· 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
· 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation
Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in bananas, pecans, and vanilla. Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured 8- x 4-inch loafpans.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean and sides pull away from pan, shielding with aluminum foil last 15 minutes to prevent browning, if necessary. Cool bread in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool 30 minutes on wire racks before slicing.

Fashion Friday

You know what is torture? Looking at gorgeous clothes online and knowing you can't wear them because your current wardrobe consists of elastic waistbands and will continue in that manner until April or so.



That being said, maternity clothes have come a long way since our mothers were pregnant with us. No more sailor collars, tent dresses and buttons spelling "baby." Thank goodness! Otherwise the fashion choices alone might have deterred me from having children. Just kidding! Sort of.



When I was pregnant with Brady, I had great luck with the maternity lines at Gap and Old Navy. They haven't let me down this time around either! I've already picked up jeans and your basic long-sleeve tees and a few dresses since I was ready for maternity pants alone at 12 weeks. Here is what is on my current wish list:


Ruffle Print Top







Wouldn't this be cute with black pants for church or work?




V-Neck Argyle Sweater



Perfect with jeans






Cable Knit Sweater





I actually bought this sweater in green earlier this week, but the red is really bright and cheery and will look great at some of those casual Christmas events coming up.






Rosette Cardigan




LOVE IT! That's really all I have to say about that




Cowl Neck Tunic






This looks really comfortable.




Printed Ruched Dress


All you need is tights and boots.


So that's my list for right now. Some people say it's silly to spend a lot on clothes that you'll only wear for a few months, but places like Old Navy, Gap and even Target offer affordable options that resell well. And if there's any time we need to feel good about ourselves, it's when we're pregnant, right???!!!!


Happy Friday!

Easy Sticky Buns

I'm a huge baker and a huge fan of the Barefoot Contessa. I was watching her show last night and she made these Easy Sticky Buns. I haven't tried the recipe yet, but all the reviews online are fabulous, so I wanted to share it here! Don't these sound wonderful on a cold Saturday morning?






Easy Sticky Buns - Barefoot Contessa
Ingredients
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup pecans, chopped in very large pieces
1 package (17.3-ounces/ 2-sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted


For the filling:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup raisins


Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the pecans evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.


Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of the raisins. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down. Trim the ends of the roll about 1/2-inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.


Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Be careful - they're hot! Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon) and cool completely.

Remember me?

So I've been motivated to get back into blogging since so much is happening in our lives right now. Plus, a number of people I know have started blogging and I always want to be doing the "in" thing, you know. :)

The biggest news in our neck of the woods is that we're going to become a family of four in March!

No, it wasn't a surprise, but it did happen a lot quicker than I had anticipated. We're very excited and will be finding out if we're shopping for pink or blue next Friday. To say I'm counting down the days is putting it mildy!

So between the morning sickness and utter exhaustion, it was a good summer. We made a trip to Gatlinburg over Labor Day with some very dear friends, Brady started Kindergarten and now we're in the midst of fall fun! Brady's going to be Robin for Halloween and Sunday night was his first outing in costume to Boo at the Zoo. Here are a few pictures.

I'm really hoping I can keep up with the old blog this time, so keep me motivated! Have a great day!

The girls are back!

The girls are back! Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha hit the theaters yesterday. I loved the series and loved the first movie, so I've been anxiously awaiting the sequal. The critics have toally panned it (1.5 stars, really?), but the fan reviews have been great. I'll be seeing it at 8:20pm tonight!

My Little Graduate

More photos to come soon......................

And note to preschool directors everywhere - Please don't play "Amazing Grace" right before the kids walk out! I did not bring enough tissues for that!

Teacher's Appreciation Gifts

It’s the end of the school year and you’re probably trying to think of something to honor your child’s teachers for teaching and loving and (in some cases!) tolerating them. I actually did the following idea for Teacher’s Appreciation Week earlier this spring. Brady goes to an all-day preschool/child care center, so he’ll have the same teachers until he starts Kindergarten in August. I plan on doing a little something to thank them at that point.

A friend emailed me this idea from Skip to My Lou . All I did was purchase small pots of gerber daisies ($3.70 at Lowes) and cover the pots with scrapbook paper that I had on hand. I used a hot glue gun to attach it. I apologize for the less-than-stellar photography. These were taken with my phone. Then I used the template to create the flower-shaped signs. I glued those onto popsicle sticks and stuck them in the dirt.

Add a basket of freshly baked muffins and we were set! The teachers loved them and it was quick, cheap and easy.

Get prepared for a post with lots of pictures soon! Brady has his K4 graduation tonight. Caps and gowns and lots of tears (from Mommy!)!!